[RegulatorCountry]

It does sound German, but I've never thought to try to trace the etymology. 18th century settlers here were largely German to the point of being the majority for a while, with the balance being English or Scotch-Irish for the most part, so that would make sense as a colloquial survival. From what areas did the people who settled the Florida panhandle originate?

[yarddog]

This part of the Florida Panhandle was settled by highland Scots. In fact the area around DeFuniak Springs was composed of 70% Scots names on maybe the 1960 census but not certain which one.

I do know all my class mates had names like McDonald, Campbell, Douglass, McDuffie, Morrison, McClean and so on. I once saw a census of the Island of Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides and the names were just about identical to those around here. I think that census was around 1700.